Tomorrow I’m going to a graduation party for a friend completing med school and who will be leaving next month to begin her residency at Mass. General. I’ve known this friend for a few years and I’m sad to see her go, but I have no doubt she will be a superb and compassionate physician. The other night, I was thinking about how people move in and out of our lives. In some ways, I think who we are is largely determined by the connections we make with others; the subtle influence of the countless conversations and experiences we share with the people in our lives is more profound than we realize, I think. And so I don’t think we ever truly can say goodbye to someone, because a small part of that person continues to dwell in the recesses of the mind, whispering in our ears.
